Disappeared News

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

“… let’s remember that the recession was caused by Wall Street hyper-speculation, not the pay scales of of elementary school teachers or public hospital nurses.”

by Larry Geller

It’s hard for me to believe that the people elected legislators to actually perpetuate disaster upon them. But such appears to be the condition of American democracy. The erosion of labor unions has taken place over the past 30 years or so while the people remained mostly silent. What’s different now? Perhaps the blatancy of the Republican attack, plus we recognize that they are kicking people who are already down.

The Great Recession did blow a massive hole in state and municipal government finances, with tax receipts—including income, sales and property taxes—dropping sharply along with household incomes, spending and real estate values. Meanwhile, demand for public services, such as Medicaid and heating oil assistance, has risen as people’s circumstances have worsened. But let’s remember that the recession was caused by Wall Street hyper-speculation, not the pay scales of elementary school teachers or public hospital nurses.

Nonetheless, a rising chorus of commentators charge that public sector workers are overpaid relative to employees in comparable positions in the private sector. The fact that this claim is demonstrably false appears not to matter. Instead, the attacks are escalating.

Perhaps that could be a beginning. That is, if the protests succeed. Then, Egypt-like, the rest of the country might see a reversal. Of course, this assumes that the people win in Wisconsin. It’s not assured. The Right knows what trouble it would cause them should that be allowed to happen.

Of course the agenda of the Wall Street billionaires and the Corporate billionaires is to destroy the unions which in turn will reduce the democratic party to an irrelevant institution. This will complete the eighty year economic and political cycle which will result in the people taking to the streets and forcing politicians make the move back to democracy. We might already be there.